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Brexit vote campaign left too many ‘ill-informed:’ report

Mistakes made in Britain’s EU referendum debate should never be repeated, the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) said in a report that was published Thursday.

After reviewing the campaign for Britain’s June 23 referendum on the country’s future in the European Union, the ERS recommended changes for future votes. The campaign ahead of the Brexit referendum left too many people “ill-informed” and politicians failed to “engage or convince voters” of positive and negative consequences that would result from their decision, the report said.

The only public figures that convinced voters of their position were pro-Brexit figures Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Donald Trump, according to a ERS poll.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron, who campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU, convinced 29 percent of exactly the opposite – to support the Leave campaign. Only 14 percent of the voters said they cast their ballots for Remain based on Cameron’s campaign, the report said.

In the future referendums, ERS said an official body should be created and tasked with rebuffing misleading claims by the campaigners. In addition, the report said that a minimum period of six months has to be allowed for a campaign ahead of the vote to allow “a proper public discussion” to develop.

The ERS cited the 2014 Scottish vote on independence as an example of how a campaign ahead of a referendum should be run. It was “a vibrant, well-informed, grassroots conversation that left a lasting legacy of on-going public participation in politics and public life,” the report said.

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Dave

The French had a full debate on whether to accept the EU constitution. In the end they rejected it and the EU’s politicians imposed 99% of its content by treaty instead! Thoroughly democratically, of course 🙂

Posted on 9/1/16 | 12:09 PM CET

Fülöp Görög

Lol Politico is still butt hurt from the referendum. Who the hell cares about this ‘report’ ?

Posted on 9/1/16 | 2:57 PM CET

Deb

@Fülöp Görög

Quite. It isn’t even accurate, the report condemns both sides for lack of clarity and information.

Posted on 9/1/16 | 3:25 PM CET

Maria Valentina Umer

Of course the Bexiteers were misinformed! But the slogans by Johnson & Farage played extacly into their frustrations. And the misinformed (duped) Brits continue to write in these pages. They regorgitate the anti-EU ideology fed to them by the two clowns Johnson and Farage.

And, pardon me, but what has Donald Trump to do with Brexit or UK affairs in the EU? Do you Brits want a third clown? As if two were not enough!

Posted on 9/2/16 | 4:08 PM CET

Deb

@MVU

Stop making a fool of yourself.

Posted on 9/3/16 | 3:00 AM CET

DanTheMan

Maria Valentina Umer
“what has Donald Trump to do with Brexit or UK affairs in the EU?”